Im busy restoring my 3rd raleigh vintage cycle however can anyone help by sending me a photo of the underside of a 'Wrights made in england' seat/saddle,(leahter and horse hair and around 1950s i think)... its completely dissmantled and im not too sure of the assembly, or even if i have all the parts....CheersThe bike is a Raleigh single speed Serial number 702268Z by: 88.109.125.135

I just picked up two bikes, one a holsdworth with a Brooks B15 and a Raleigh with a Wrights. Would you stil like a picture of the under side. It looks just like the Brooks? by: 205.188.117.71

MISC: AMF Hercules posted by: Joe on 8/6/2006 at 3:32:33 AM

I picked up a super clean AMF Hercules today, other than a rub mark on the rear fender, a few stitches missing on the saddle, and the usual age checked tires, the bike looks excellent. The rear hub is stamped 10-1971, the rims are Dunlop as on a Robin Hood that I have, only in 36H x 36H. What surprized me was that most parts are marked with Raleigh logos, I have had other Raleigh sub models, but this is the first Hercules/AMF model from the 70's. Unlike my other non Raleigh branded / Raleigh built bikes, the hubs, stem, cranks, and seat post all are stamped the Raleigh logo. I had always thought that the AMF/Hercules bikes were a much lesser model, this one is equipped much like my 1966 Robin Hood Sports. The frame is is similar but has larger and less fancy lugs which aren't as well finished as on my other Raleigh built bikes. This bike looks to be 100% Made in England. I found it at a local fleamarket and had to completely disassemble it to get it home, but at $30 I couldn't walk away from a bike in this condition even if its only a 20.5" frame. I did a quick wipe down of the painted surfaces and gave the rims a quick cleaning to remove 30 plus years of dust. It looked good at the sale where I found it but it looks prety much like new now. When I got it home I hurried up and got it back together and took it out for a quick ride. My only complaint so far is a sqeaky saddle. Other than that, it feels like a new bike. I'll do a complete bearing service on it since I'm certain that the grease has most likely dried out over the years. Does anyone here have any info on English made AMF/Hercules bikes? I had run across what I now assume must have been later models in the past, but for some reason I thought these were not English or at least not 100%, were there non English Hercules? Were the AMF/Hercules bikes models that simply got the AMF logo tacked on, or were they a separate or lesser equipped bikes compared to the other Raleigh sub models?

I don't really have the specific answers you seek, but I have a very similar AMF Hercules Sports. I think mine is a 1970 (but may be a '71, I keep it at work so I can't check right now.)

I got mine for free at the dump. I saw a truck loaded with metal junk pull up to the hopper. I quickly ran over and asked if she was throwing it away, and for 5 minutes of helping throw scrap metal from the back of the truck into the hopper she gave me the bicycle.

All it needed was a wipe down, lube, and air in the tires. I've logged thousands of commuting miles on it without a problem. I keep it as my "beater" Sports--even though it is in very good condition. I just don't feel as bad if something happens to this one vs a Raleigh of Humber from the 1950's.

Mine is appointed similar to yours. It seems to have a little less quality than a Raleigh branded bike, but then again since mine is from the 1970's, all the lines were going down in quality by that time. The lugs stand out the most as looking cheap.

On mine, the AMF decal has mostly been worn off, which I don't really mind. Mine was made in England and has the Raleigh stamped parts like yours.

Great find!

Bryan by: 71.233.230.218

RE:MISC: AMF Hercules posted by Joe on 8/6/2006 at 8:52:39 PM

It sounds like yours is a lot like mine, maybe even an exact copy. I included a link to a pic of mine below. My decals are still in nice condition on this one, and the paint is near perfect other than a 1" rub mark on the right backside of the rear fender, and small chip at the bottom of the front fender edge. So far everything looks original exept maybe the front tire tube, which no longer has a threaded valve stem. As you can see in the pic there is reflective tape on the forks and rear stays? I have had other English bikes before with this same treatment, and have always removed that tape assuming that it was put there by a previous owner, but after looking close at this one, the bands are cut to fit the bike, even tapered to match the tubing. Could this be original or could it have been just a local dealer that was doing this to all of these he sold back then? I have two other parts bikes, also Raleigh sub models from 1970 & 1971, that have this same reflective tape. Both of those however also have county registration stickers on the seat tubes and metal license plates hanging from their saddles. I was also wondering if maybe it was a requirement in some towns to have such markings on every bike? I would think that if they were done by hand or by a former owner, they all wouldn't be done so excactly to one another. (one is a Dunelt, the other is a Robin Hood). Also, the reflective bands are not just tape, they are each position is a different width, the fork bands are about 2" wide and the rear are about 1/2" and 3/4" wide. I guess it could have been part of some sort of bike safety kit that was available back then too, I seem to remember being able to buy a bag of reflectors and tape in kit form meant to update your older bike to having modern reflectors back then. I did remove a pair of sideways mounted reflectors from both the stem and seat post that looked badly out of place, along with a much older looking torpedo headlight. I had simply figured that they didn't have any place on an English bike. One thing that is missing from this bike is the usually sqaure headlamp bracket. Every other English bike I have has one. This one doesn't look to have the room under the headset for one. As you can see in the pic, the stitching on the seat is loose. Has anyone had any luck repairing these? The cover and underpadding is mint, but the seat seems to have a hard plastic under cover that gives it it's shape. I suppose I can take a large oppolstery needle and retrace the holes with new thread, but what kind of thread? The original seems to be pretty soft, but a heavy guage thread. Any ideas to quiet a squeaky saddle? This thing will wake up the dead. I tried a few drops of light oil on the larger spring attaching points with no results. The springs are all riveted, not bolted. It seems to be coming from the lateral springs, the little ones that run under the cushion, if not there its got to be the frame pivot points. It won't make a sound sitting still, you have to be on it and pedalling. Pushing on it with you hand won't make it squeak. I swapped out the saddle of another one to be sure it was that, but put this one back since its original. Something else that has surprised me on this bike, all of the fasteners with the exception of the rear axle are odd sized, neither US standard nor Metric. I am assuming that they are British Whitworth? I didn't think that they were still using Whitworth by 1971? My 1966 Robin Hood has all common sized hardware as does my 1968 Raleigh Sports and my 1968 Sprite. The front axle nuts are larger than 1/2' or 13mm, but too small for a 9/16" or 14mm wrench, the stem bolt is somewhere between 10mm and 7/16". I have a good assortment of tools here, all Snap On and Craftsman, in both Std and Mteric, and had nothing to fit this at all. I did have a Whitworth adjustable wrench though.

by: 71.125.138.245

RE:RE:MISC: AMF Hercules posted by sam on 8/6/2006 at 9:30:13 PM

There is a german bike brand called Hercules but it's not assocated with the English Hercules brand. All AMF Hercules were "made in England"but many were assembled in the AMF North Little Rock Ar. plant.I forget just when that plant shut down---I think before 1970---maybe someone will remember.---sam by: 68.91.90.139

RE:RE:RE:MISC: AMF Hercules posted by Joe on 8/7/2006 at 5:57:15 AM

If they closed the US plant prior to 1970, that might explain some of the lower quality examples I've seen. Were they assembling English parts or building their own bike? I have a few AMF/Hercules labeled chainguards here that look more like American made chainguards. They have an elongated shape that sort of comes to a point at the front. I included a pic below of some of the different Hercules Chainguards I've seen. The one on the lower left is the one I have seen the most of, and I've seen two versions of this shape, one like the one in the lower left which is a smooth surface and the one at the upper right corner which has three raised areas which are painted white. There is also a difference in the depth of the guard, the one is somewhat flat and more open on the rear side, while the other is more enclosed. I've had lots of parts for these, but having mostly all Raleigh, Robin Hood, and Triumph bikes I never paid much attention to them. This bike will make a good daily rider, I took it out today for while too, I think my favorit beater is my '68 Sprite though, the gearing on that just suits me better, and it's not as clean so I don't worry about damaging it or adding another scratch. The Sprite is a larger frame too. My '66 Robin Hood is the best fit, but the Sprite is geared better. I have seen a Hercules bicycle from Germany, but it was probably from the early 1900's. I believe they moved more towards motorcycles and mopeds in later years.

by: 71.125.138.245

RE:MISC: AMF Hercules posted by Jeff on 8/7/2006 at 3:16:57 PM

I have a ladies Hercules that does not have any AMF markings. I believe that the hub says 1971. It has the same reflective tape. It also has many Raleigh marked parts. I think the tape was a Hercules thing. by: 64.201.65.22

RE:MISC: AMF Hercules posted by Spike on 8/8/2006 at 12:06:32 AM

I have a nice 71 womens "Dunelt" I just got this weekend. Nice Metallic red paint, stripes still visible Nice decals except for rear fender.Cranks and pedals are marked Raleigh.It does have reflective tape on the fork 4 1/2" inches from the crown 2" inches wide.By the way also has a bullet headlight mounted at the stem bolt.the cool thing it has 2 old Ray O Vac red yellow & blue batteries,probably from the 70s,marked guarenteed not to damage your flashlight made in the USA. Inside of the light is spotless.Batteries have absolutely no leakage.

by: 24.58.64.136

RE:RE:MISC: AMF Hercules posted by Joe on 8/8/2006 at 1:58:01 AM

It's funny that you mention the headlight, I removed what I figured was a non original headlamp that was clamped to the handle bars. This one takes on 'D' battery and is in near mint shape. It's more of a torpedo shape, about 7" long and about 2 inches wide. I didn't see any sign of who made it, but I sort of figured it came with the add on reflectors that I also tossed.

The AMF hercules were all made in england assembled in USA.Hercules shipped the bikes un-assembled to save on space.All those gards with the exception of the lower photo(which I'm unsure of) were made in England.Even that funny pointed one at the top.The AMF Hercules frames all have chrome tape stripes around the seat tube,this tape must have been added in North Little Rock as it was applied over the seat tube transfers---sam by: 68.91.90.139

RE:RE:MISC: AMF Hercules posted by Joe on 8/8/2006 at 4:01:29 AM

It's looking like they had several decal combos too in that era, I've seen several that were all at least 5 or 6 years older with the same decals on the frame as mine, but with the elongated chainguard. I guess there's also the posibility that mine is not a 1971 and that the wheels were at some point swapped out for a later set, but I have no way of knowing that either way. The bike is super clean, and unless there was some sort of catastophic damage, I can't imagine that it needed a new wheelset, but you never know. The Headbadge is the flatter style, which differs from at least two earlier ones that I've seen. This one appears to be a painted and slightly embossed aluminum badge, while the early one's I have here are all brass and much more detailed. One of these days maybe I'll stumble across an old bike like this that still has it's original paper work and manuals, that way I'll know for sure what is original or not. Of course, I'll take as many like this on in this sort of shape any day. by: 71.125.149.205

I wonder how much they had to assemble? Were they totally disassembled, or partially? One thing I did notice that stood out is that the spoke nipples are chrome plated and super brite compared to other English wheels I have here. I wonder if they were even building the wheels here too? The frame is actually pretty sparse when it comes to decals, there's a coat of arms midway down the lower tube, the chrome bands and the AMF letters on the seat tube, and a Made In England script on the top tube. The fenders have no transfers and the chainguard has only the gold colored Hercules transfer. The only AMF is on the seat tube. The seat tube bands are separate decals, as are each letter in AMF. The lower chainguard in the pic is the one I see the most here, that pic was from an online pic, but I have seen them in that form on both Hercules and AMF/Hercules badged bikes. by: 71.125.149.205

RE:MISC: Ariston Hercules posted by Diane on 5/7/2007 at 2:09:00 PM

Please could you give me a date for a Hercules Ariston ladies bicycle with a brooks leather saddle, & a hercules 2 speed gearing. It has rod brakes.Thanks Di by: 212.100.250.213

RE:MISC: Ariston Hercules posted by Diane on 5/7/2007 at 2:10:41 PM

Please could you give me a date for a Hercules Ariston ladies bicycle with a brooks leather saddle, & a hercules 2 speed gearing. It has rod brakes.Thanks Di by: 212.100.250.213

RE:MISC: AMF Hercules posted by steven on 6/1/2007 at 4:07:04 PM

amf hercules....the only ones i find are 3-speed;do they make one thats just a single speed.if so how old? by: 65.67.67.30

Hi Folks,Can anyone tell me more about this bike? I believe it is Japanese-made and most likely pre WWII. There are many brass name badges with the name TKR on the steer tube, fenders, chainguard, ect. On the saddle there is a TKR logo and the words Tanaka Seisakusho below. I'm guessing this is the Takara company that made bicycles in the 70s/80s ?? It is a lady's single speed roadster with rod brakes, caliper type in front and a drum brake in back. The rims are very heavy with rolled edges similar to ones I have seen on early English bikes. On the enclosed chainguard it says THE TNK CYCLE, trade mark, NEW SUPER. THere's a cool deco looking aluminum fender ornament, also embossed TNK. On the seat tube are the numbers 33 2 22. I wonder if this could be the date of manufacture. Thanks. by: 138.26.156.139